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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147047">Saving Pretty Boy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pr3ttyM3ssy/pseuds/Pr3ttyM3ssy'>Pr3ttyM3ssy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boyfriends, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:15:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147047</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pr3ttyM3ssy/pseuds/Pr3ttyM3ssy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a night out in the woods with the teens turns into a literal nightmare from out of the upside-down, Billy has to work past his trauma to save his boyfriend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove &amp; Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Saving Pretty Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspiration for this fic was drawn from listening to The Midnight. If you haven't listened to them, check them out. You won't be disappointed.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was no way, Billy just couldn’t believe that this was tangible. Even though he saw it with his own eyes. The putrid scent, stale, and pungent. Along with the fall in temperature, he didn’t believe was possible; they were already outside in the middle of the woods after all. It flooded his senses with memories itching in the back of his mind. Ones he had no desire of having to remember, came crashing to the periphery and caused him to freeze in a sheer cold panic.<br/>
</p><p>The gate was closed, El had made sure of it. Starcourt had been destroyed and the interdimensional rift the Russians had created had gone along with it. Surely Hopper's sacrifice couldn’t have been for nothing.</p><p>Yet there he was, running for his fucking life with the nerd squad trailing behind him. Not to mention, Steve Harrington thrown over him in a sloppy piggyback ride as they tried to reach the Beamer. He tried to listen for anything that would remotely sound like one of those things. Clicking, growling, anything. But the only sound he could pick up was the sound of his labored breath and that of the kids behind him and the crunching of Earth underneath their feet as they kept running.<br/>
</p><p>Before all this happened, they had been having a bonfire in the woods near Lovers Lake. Casual, just for fun. The group had been missing their two friends; El and Will. So they decided on spending time together by the fire.<br/>
</p><p>
“The kids want to hang out tonight. Make smores, you know just shoot the shit. You wanna be my plus one?” Steve had asked with a smirk on his face.<br/>
</p><p>Billy just playfully rolled his eyes, “Why me, did Buckley turn you down?”, he was caught pleasantly off guard. Steve pulled Billy flush against him from the belt loops on his jeans when he whispered onto his lips sending a shiver down his spine. “I had also invited her, but she said as fun as it sounded to hang out with my nerd herd, she picked up an extra shift so she cant. Besides, we can just ditch them for a bit and have some fun of our own.”<br/>
</p><p>“Sounds fun” Billy smiled. Deal sealed with a kiss had set the plan in motion.<br/>
</p><p>At least that’s what was intended. Quiet night, no worries, having fun with the teens and gorging himself with sugary treats alongside his boyfriend.<br/>
</p><p>So many things crossed Billy’s oxygen-deprived mind, but he mainly focused on getting Steve and the kids out of the woods. He managed solely by the sudden rush of adrenaline and panic he was currently feeling. It was helping him power through the struggle of carrying Steve’s lithe body across the woods. He wasn’t heavy, but he wasn’t totally all there either and the more he strung to life the heavier he became.<br/>
</p><p>“Shitbird! Nerds! Come on keep up! Henderson! Front of the line, I need your light!” he yelled through the pain in his chest from lack of oxygen.<br/>
</p><p>“On your left!” Dustin yelled at him from behind. Age was making him taller, so he didn’t struggle too much to keep up. He ran beside Billy shining the flashlight. The last thing they needed now was to trip over any vines or lifted tree stumps. <em>Fucking woods.</em><br/>
</p><p>Billy’s muscles ached. He was so afraid to fail but mainly he was pissed. Why couldn’t these creatures just stay away. They still haunted his nightmares and left vivid images of what that shadow looming over him had made him do.<br/>
</p><p><em>Can’t seem to catch a break.</em><br/>
</p><p>At first, he thought it was all in his head. But he felt it, like a chill down his neck. Almost like a phantom feeling, a spasm in his neck muscle that felt all to familiar. A tingle in his veins made him itchy all over. Then, he heard the noise. He had only ever heard it a handful of times when he was in that place. Like he was prey and his predator was just waiting for the right moment to pounce. Always hiding but never actually materializing. It felt wrong. The uncertainty messed with his sanity. But that was then. In that moment, his eyes wandered his surroundings. When from behind, there in the bushes at full height a creature with a flower-shaped head that opened to show rows and rows of teeth appeared.<br/>
</p><p>Max yelled, Billy turned wide eyed and froze.<br/>
</p><p>Before he knew it, Steve had lunged. Nail bat in hand and swinging. 
</p><p>Steve’s fight or flight instinct kicked into high gear and he attacked the creature first. Billy was grateful that Steve was so paranoid and protective of his gaggle of kids. Everyone had told him to leave the bat behind. But Steve countered and said that there was no such thing as too careful. What if some random animal came and tried to sneak up on them.<br/>
<em>“Not on my watch, remember I’m like a ninja. I strike first.”</em>
</p><p>And he did.<br/>
</p><p>Steve’s car was closing in, they could see it. They had decided to park the car near enough that if they became tired, they could reach it quickly and get home.<br/>
</p><p>“Bil…Billy?” Steve barely made out. Billy's ears perked at the sound of his boyfriend's whisper like voice.<br/>
</p><p>“Pretty boy. Steve! Stay awake! Okay! You listen to me. You can’t fall asleep. We're almost to the car!” Billy was desperate.<br/>
</p><p>He felt a tingle in his stomach as Steve’s hand slowly snaked its way up to his torso and stopped gently laid on his chest near his heart.<br/>
</p><p>“Is…is it dead? Did I get it?” he managed through the raspy dry feeling in his throat. Billy was just relieved to hear him talk. Even though the words were barely coherent.<br/>
</p><p>“Yes, you got it, you got it good. But now I need you to focus, okay!” he huffed out. “You need to stay awake.”<br/>
</p><p>Billy’s back felt wet and warm and he knew it couldn’t be anything else but blood from the fresh claw-shaped wound that now adorned Steve’s chest. It was the Demogorgon’s last form of defense before Steve slammed his nailed bat in a life-ending squelch to the creature's head. 
</p><p>Billy would never doubt him again. Steve kept impressing him and his ability to jump at a moment’s notice to protect the people he loved. Heedless of the possible harm it would bring him.<br/>
</p><p>“Told you, m’fast. Like a ninja” He softly chuckled, the huff of warm air grazing Billy’s ear. “M,sorry Bill”, he said before he went silent again. <em>Shit, shit, shit…</em><br/>
</p><p>“There’s the car!” yelled Mike and Lucas.<br/>
</p><p>“Henderson! Keys!” Billy ordered. Dustin grabbed for his backpack and pulled out the keys he had taken from Steve for safekeeping.<br/>
</p><p>“Everyone get in! Quick!”, Billy ordered again. This was not how he had meant to spend his night. Still beating himself up for not reacting quick enough. Trying to make sure his boyfriend didn’t die, that his kids were safe and that Billy himself could keep his sanity. He wasn’t sure if that was the only Demogorgon that made its way out of the rift, and he wasn’t not going to stick around to find out if there were more out there.<br/>
</p><p>He gently placed Steve between Mike and Lucas in the backseat. Billy removed his blood-soaked hoodie and left in just a black Metallica shirt, handed the hoodie to Lucas so that he could place it over Steve’s wound like a tourniquet to stop it from bleeding. Dustin took shotgun but twisted from the waist to glance over at Steve. The kid was freaking out, but it was an internal battle for the most part. Billy could see it in his tense posture and his strong gaze. It was no time to lose one's head and he needed to be clear minded. Billy dug out his wallet and pulled out a piece of paper ripped and jagged at the edges. The number on the paper was faint from wear but still visible.<br/>
</p><p>“Dustin, where is the nearest payphone.” He asked as he turned the key, ignited the engine, and pulled the car into reverse. Dustin turned his wide gaze towards Billy and their eyes met. He nodded a couple of times to focus his thoughts.<br/>
</p><p>“It’s just a couple miles from the here. I’ll show you”.<br/>
</p><p>--<br/>
</p><p>They drove for a while and to Billy, it felt like they kept getting farther away. At nighttime, the woods seemed endless. Even though the road signs said the contrary, he just didn’t see the end. He kept glancing at the rearview to make sure they weren't being followed by another one of those things. He looked over Steve’s soft face, pale and unmoving. His immobility was making Billy nervous.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Lucas try to talk to him, keep him awake.” He made sure that the desperation he felt didn’t push through the reverie and gave away how he truly felt. His grip on the steering wheel became tight and white-knuckled, he thought for sure he would dent it. “I’m trying,” he said ask he smacked Steve’s cheek.  "Here let me try," Mike took a turn trying to coax Steve awake but nothing.<em>Shit. Steve don’t do this to me right now.</em><br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Dustin pointed towards the window, “there it is! On the right!”. Billy pressed on the brakes so hard the car screeched to a halt. As the dust settled, he could see a dull flickering from the vacant phone booth. He bust open the car door and ran to the payphone praying that it worked.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He picked up the receiver, pushed in the coins necessary, heard the dial tone, and breathed in relief. He dialed the number on the little piece of paper and waited.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Come on please, pick up, pick up…..” he whispered to himself.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Hello?” Doctor Owens tired voice sounded from the other side.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Doc! It's me, Billy. We have an emergency. Steve, he’s hurt, and it's not a normal wound if you catch my drift.”<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>He could hear the doctor softly curse and then sigh. “Where are you?”<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Outside of the woods, near Lover’s Lake.”<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Okay listen to me. I’m assuming you're not alone. Somehow these kids always seem to be involved” he sighed. “Take them to Steve’s house. I’m making my way there with a couple of my guys” Billy nodded to everything he heard. “Be ready for a full debriefing and we’ll take care of him.”<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Thank you, Doc, we’ll see you there.” Billy hung up the phone and ran back to the car. Place the car back in drive and passed the speed limit to Steve’s house.<br/>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’re going to be okay Pretty Boy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading. I apologize for any grammatical errors in advance. I'm getting back to writing after a heavy spell of writer's block, but I'm trying. Still a bit rusty. I'm open to criticism, in fact, I welcome it. I'm always looking to better my writing.<br/>Just cleaning up the second part and will be uploading soon.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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